A BRAVE Billingham mum who raised thousands of pounds for a Teesside breast cancer unit has lost her own long battle against the disease.

Loving tributes were paid by the family of Liz Wheatley, who today were expected to be joined by hundreds of mourners at her funeral.

Liz set about fundraising for the breast unit at Stockton’s University Hospital of North Tees after she was diagnosed with cancer in September 2000.

Wanting to “give something back” to the unit she felt had been so good to her she organised a Pink Night disco at The Swan pub. The successful event raised £850.

Every year the fundraising night grew and by her untimely death earlier this month, aged 43, Liz had raised a staggering £10,500 for the unit.

When the mum-of-two was given the news she had breast cancer she felt “like a zombie”, she told the Gazette in 2004 for a feature on Breast Cancer Care’s awareness month.

She said her whole world was put on hold while she waited for treatment.

Liz underwent a mastectomy as well as chemotherapy and radiotherapy before reconstructive surgery.

But Liz faced her illness with great dignity and courage.

“She fought many battles with the disease,” said her husband Neil, 47, an instrument engineer, who married Liz in 1984.

“Many people over the eight years witnessed how brave and strong Liz was, managing to keep a smile on her face and never moaning or complaining about her problems.

“She was a doer in everything in life, that was just her nature.”

Their eldest son Joe, 21, added: “She was always the life and soul of the party. She was such a popular woman.”

Joe and his brother Ben, 19, were “the two things Liz was most proud of in her life”, said her husband. Joe is studying film and TV production at Westminster University while Ben is studying computer programming at the University of Teesside.

When their sons went to school Liz returned to work at the Co-op supermarket in Stockton, which went on to become Savacentre, Sainsbury’s, then Tesco.

“It was a great job for Liz at the store because she enjoyed socialising with the staff and customers,” said Neil.

“She would have probably worked there for free she liked it so much.”

Liz was also one of the first members of The GentleLady Care breast cancer support group, which in June 2006 launched a fundraising drive to buy a special bed for the chemotherapy department at North Tees.

The previous year she joined other members in a protest against Professor Sir Ara Darzi’s plans to move the North Tees breast unit to the University Hospital of Hartlepool.

Neil said his wife met wonderful new friends at the group. “Like the other members, it was not a group she would have chosen to be part of, but they all became friends, giving each other support and love.”

Julie O’Neill from GentleLady Care said Liz was a “very special part of the group”.

“Everything she did had to have a fun element, and she was always working hard for the benefit of the group and always trying to raise the profile of breast cancer,” she said.

North Tees breast care nurse Val Cross said: “Liz was a very thoughtful and caring person who always put others before herself. She worked tirelessly to raise money for the unit and we will always be extremely grateful to her.

“She will be greatly missed by everyone who came into contact with her.”

Neil said his wife kept “such a brave face on” throughout her illness, but eventually the cancer spread to her lungs, liver and bones. She spent her final days at the Butterwick Hospice.

Her funeral was due to be held at 10.45am today at St Aidan’s Church in Billingham, the same church she was married in, with donations in lieu of the Butterwick Hospice.